With the 2018 NHL Draft quickly approaching, it’s been five years since the 2013 class was selected in Newark, N.J.
Of the eight New Englanders picked in 2013, three have made it to the NHL. Probably not coincidentally, NHLers Adam Erne, Zach Sanford and Miles Wood were the first three locals taken off the board. They’ve since developed admirably, and their trajectories provide insightful lessons ahead of names being called in Dallas, Texas.
Prospects are exactly that – a projection of what could occur. There are no guarantees, even after scouts spend hours debating who could best further their organization's quest for a Stanley Cup title. Knowing that nothing is a given, let’s dive into how that 2013, five years later, has unfolded.
Top Rounds
Erne, a New Haven, Conn., native, was selected in the second round with the 33rd overall pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning. A product of the Quebec Remparts in the QMJH, Erne has played in 49 NHL games while totaling six goals. He’s spent most of his time with Tampa’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, since turning pro following the 2014-15 season.
The next local to be pegged in 2013 was Sanford, a Salem, Mass., native who grew up in southern New Hampshire. Sanford saw his stock skyrocket as he developed from a relative unknown at Pinkerton Academy to a stellar junior hockey season with the Middlesex Islanders in the EJHL. He ended up being the Washington Capitals’ 61st overall pick at the end of the second round. Since traded to the St. Louis Blues, he’s compiled four goals and four assists in 39 NHL games. He finished this season with the San Antonio Rampage in the AHL.
New England’s most successful 2013 draftee has been Miles Wood of Manchester, N.H. Drafted in the fourth round (100th overall) by the New Jersey Devils out of Nobles, Wood has 27 goals and 22 assists in 137 NHL games. He played just one season at Boston College in between prep school and turning pro. Known for his speed and physical play, Wood is in line for a hefty raise come his next contract.
Middle Territory
Drafted later in the fourth round out of the Salisbury School, Ryan Segalla has bounced around between four minor league teams after turning pro following his junior season at UConn. Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Segalla never panned out as expected. In fact, he was shifted between forward and his original defensive position in college.
One of two locals selected by the Boston Bruins in 2013, Ryan Fitzgerald just completed his first full season of pro hockey. He was the Bruins’ fourth round pick out of the Valley Jr. Warriors in the EJHL. The North Reading, Mass., native posted 23 goals and 16 assists in 68 AHL games this season with the Providence Bruins. Fitzgerald enjoyed a solid four-year college career at Boston College.
Greenwich, Conn., native Wiley Sherman was selected one round later, also by the Bruins. The hulking blue liner went back for another season at Hotchkiss before playing four seasons at Harvard. His skating has improved and he’ll get a chance to develop in the system with Providence.
Didn’t Quite Pan Out
The Calgary Flames selected Dexter School’s Tim Harrison in the sixth round. A Duxbury, Mass., native, he played four seasons at Colgate and is now with the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder.
The final local to hear his name called in Newark was Chris Leblanc of Winthrop, Mass.. Picked by the Ottawa Senators late in the sixth round, he played four seasons of college hockey at Merrimack. Lower body ailments impacted his development and he’s now playing for his third minor pro team, the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL.
Big Picture
2013 shows that being drafted doesn’t give any certainty of a successful pro career. It also is a good indication that players taken in the first rounds have a much higher likelihood of making it to the NHL.
While those truths don’t always pan out, they’re important to be mindful of as the 2018 NHL Draft nears in Dallas, Texas. Hype and promise does not always translate to an elite professional career.
